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iReview | Edition 3

*I decided to do just one this week, since this is a rather long review.

A story that brings you right into the heart of rural Afganistan, this will grab at your heartstrings. 12 year old Amir comes from one of the most respected families, meaning, he’s filthy rich. From that new bike that everyone wants, to those brand new pair of jeans, and that prized kite; he’s got it all. His best friend - Hassan - is the son of their servant, and hence, his servant, too. Hassan sees him as his master, his best friend; his brother. Even though Amir and Hassan grew up together like brothers, and their fathers the same way, Amir still feels that Hassan is nothing more than a servant boy.

The title “The Kite Runner”, comes from Amir and Hassan’s favorite sport. Amir is the master of kite fighting (which is a sport that they played where they cut down other kites with glass laced string), and Hassan is a kite runner prodigy. Hassan would just stand somewhere, and no doubt, the kite would just fly straight into his outstretched arms.

Hassan is loyal to Amir. So loyal, that whenever Amir makes a mistake, Hassan gets punished for it. Whenever Amir is threatened by a bully, it’s Hassan who gets beat up for it, and Amir is the one who escapes scrape-free. When one day, Amir witnesses Hassan getting raped, he’s trapped. Amir can’t even stand up for himself, much less his servant boy. He runs away, ridden with guilt and shame. Then, Hassan as his father leave, after decades of staying with them. Amir’s father is left in a state of utter shock.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, the Taliban arrive. The army take over the city, and Amir, and his father, decide to flee to America. Together, they start a new life. They’ve lost all their wealth, and they live in a rather tiny, cramped apartment, but they’re alive. Things get better for a bit, and Amir even falls in love. But when a letter comes, saying that an old friend back in Afganistan wants to see Amir - just one last time, secrets are uncovered, and they’re not pretty.

The Kite Runner is written so perfectly, that even if you’re curled up in your bed in a bustling metropolis, you’ll be able to feel the dusty streets beneath your feet, and smell the roasting kebabs that make your stomach growl. Nothing in this tale is unbelievable. You’ll follow Amir’s journey from a frightened little boy, to a man who carries a burden on his shoulders, who tries to right the wrong he did so many years ago to his faithful, illiterate servant.

A really beautiful story that’ll make you itch to finish it. A truly brilliant read.

In the one time Amir goes back to Afganistan, his only adult friend who he had as a child, tells him earth-shattering news: Amir, his wife, and his mother, are all dead. But there is a spark of hope, when he reveals that Hassan has a son - a son who looks exactly like his father. A son who’s a brilliant shot with the sling; a son who’s alive somewhere in a run-down orphanage. The end changed into Amir fighting to bring the little boy back to America to raise as his own. But it’s not just that. Amir also has to fight for the boy’s trust, and he also has to bring him out of that pit of depression he’s fallen so deep in.

Somehow, you’ll be able to feel the regret that Amir feels, and you’ll also feel your love for the little boy growing, as it does with Amir.